Don’t kid yourself. The best way to keep overeating from burying you is to just not start. It’s easy to convince yourself that a little extra pasta  won’t hurt.

A few more M & M’s, eating just enough ice cream to make it look even in the carton,  or one more candy from a box of chocolates is just enough to send you over the edge, so don’t start.

Eating stops when your stomach signals you that it is full. Overeating starts when we ignore the body’s signals. Cross that fine line and you’re in trouble.

So don’t cross it. Ha! Easier said than done. So what’s the answer? Can you repeat the question?

And that is precisely the kind of self-talk that gets us into the overeating mess. And it is a mess, that’s for sure. Easy to get into and hard to get out of, just like any other habit.

And therein lies the answer. Don’t even start letting it become a habit. As soon as you recognize that you are overeating, stop.

Focus on recognizing when you begin to overeat. Recognizing is not the same as realizing. Recognizing means you can see it coming and can do something about it. Realizing means you waited too long.

While you see your chance, take it. Stop overeating before it becomes a habit. If you can do that, you will buy yourself some time to figure out a real solution and avoid a real problem.

I’m talking about obesity. Habitual overeating is what gives obesity its foothold. If you have the discipline to stop the overeating cycle at the recognition stage, you will be empowered to one day break it altogether and create your life anew.